Dogwood Avenue [5-31-13]

At 11:06 hours on May 31st, the Franklin Square and Munson Fire Department responded to the Best Yet Supermarket at 696 Dogwood Avenue [Sprague and Seabury Avenues the cross streets] for an odor inside the building. Responding units were initially advised that they were going to an odor of natural gas inside the building with aided. Upon arrival units were met with several people complaining of headaches and other ailments. Within minutes incident command declared a mass casualty incident. With this declaration the need for mutual aid to the scene became a priority. Ambulances responded to the scene from Hempstead, Mineola VAC, Lakeview, Garden City Park, Stewart Manor, West Hempstead, New Hyde Park, among others. Multiple Nassau County ambulances were also on the scene to tend to the victims.

Firefighters who entered the building were recording dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide in the basement and first floor of the supermarket. After arriving on scene National Grid advised first responders that the cause of the CO was not natural gas. The cause of the readings and accompanying ailments remained under investigation. Nassau County also had their Mass Casualty Incident Response Unit 2380 on scene. Also present were NCPD ESU Units 2421 and 2424 and the Fire Marshal HazMat Unit. Rockville Centre was later called to the scene for their rehab unit and responded with Rescue 446 and one ambulance [4462]. Mutual aided to the scene was Malverne Ladder 434, Elmont Tiller 708 and [light] Rescue 709, and Lakeview Engine 414 among others. Just after 13:00 hours mutual aid units began being released from the scene. A total of nineteen people were transported to the hospital, with at least five of them being a more serious level of CO exposure.